GROCERIES FOR FAMILIES

Supporting families affected by the pandemic with food, hygiene items, and other necessities

Jubilee REACH Communications 6/30/20 Jubilee REACH Communications 6/30/20

Groceries for Families: Week 15 - Day 2

Day 86 of this ‘Groceries for Families’ program rolled along very smoothly today. The misty rain kept us cool this morning, but the sun came through just before 1pm, which was really nice. Our operation has a habit of opening 3-4 minutes late most days. Today we were ahead of schedule, so opened up 3-4 minutes early. Most of the first 20 families in line had bags holding their spots, but they were in their cars or on the lawn talking. They were shocked when we opened early and scrambled to get back to their spots. Gotta keep ‘em honest, you know. 😊

Groceries today were provided by Crossroads Bible, Cornerstone, Creekside Covenant, Westminster Chapel, and Bellevue Presbyterian churches, as well as the Jubilee Friends group. A total of 183 orders came in and all went out to families today, including 11 by delivery. The morning was a calm and steady wave of people dropping off orders. Thank you everyone!

Pacific Coast Produce dropped off three pallets of food boxes this morning right at 8:00am. As you’ve read before, we receive these for Viviente Dios Methodist Church in White Center, Seattle. Pastor Guzman came at 9:30am with a Ford van, which our crew quickly filled. He is taking care of his congregation and his community. We are blessed to partner with him.

The market was full today with a variety of fruit and produce items, as well as canned goods. Like yesterday, a wide assortment of baby formula was also available. For those who use it, the formula is like found money. They were very excited to be able to go home with a large container today. Thank you!

A few personal stories from Ken:

Last Friday, we gave a young girl (maybe 4-5 years old) a coloring book as a small gift. She lit up with joy as she received it. Handing it to her, I asked her to color her favorite picture and bring it back to us. Today, I saw her and her mom walking down the sidewalk before we opened. The young girl was leading the way with a colored picture in hand. She proudly presented it to me, and her mom said her daughter had been so excited all weekend to bring it. We took the young girl into the building lobby where all the crew was able to thank her and tell her how lovely it was. She chose the spot on our ‘wall of fame’ to hang it, where we’ll all see it every day now. What a sweetie!
There’s a man who comes for groceries every Tuesday and Friday. He’s probably been coming since early May or so. He often comes at the end of the day, so I get to chat with him a little bit. Today, he brought his two grandchildren with him. While they were in the market, he and I were able to talk deeper. The children are his daughter’s, but she abandoned the family. So, he is now the legal caretaker and raising the kids. He shared it is really hard, and he certainly doesn’t feel like he’s doing a good job. He shared his feelings about the COVID crisis, which were a bit on the conspiracy theory side of things, but seemed to be him trying to explain and justify things in his own life. It’s a hard life for him.
The family who only eats vegetables couldn’t come on their scheduled day yesterday, so they showed up today. Dad and daughter were here at about 12:30pm. We had three bags of a wide variety of vegetables and fruits ready. The daughter, just finished 5th grade, was literally bouncing with joy as her dad took the groceries and squealed, “I’m just so very happy!”. The dad’s face was a huge smile, which we didn’t use to see from him. Keep praying for them.

Thanks for another wonderful day of serving this community together. There are so many good things happening through this program, many of which we can’t see or now. But do trust they are out there. Thank you for all you’re doing to sustain it.

Blessings to you all,

Ken Carpenter
Service Coordinator, Jubilee REACH
On behalf of the Jubilee family

Jubilee REACH Communications 6/29/20 Jubilee REACH Communications 6/29/20

Groceries for Families: Week 15 - Day 1

The first day of week 15 of the ‘Groceries for Families’ program started off very well today. The weather was awesome, with cool clouds in the AM and the sun coming out just before 1pm. We had to hustle to put up extra canopies for shade. Families came all afternoon, including a late rush which kept us hopping until 3:15pm. The crews did a great job today keeping things organized and moving.

Groceries today came from Common Good, Rain City, Lighthouse, Sacred Heart, Bellevue Christian Reformed, 24-Seven and Bellevue Presbyterian churches, as well as the Jubilee Friends group. A total of 160 orders came in and all went out to families today, including 27 by delivery. Another 15 or so deliveries will go out tomorrow afternoon. It was a very smooth and busy morning of drop-offs. Thank you to everyone who gave today.

The response to size 6 diapers has been tremendous. Multiple deliveries came today from many individuals, the Bellevue Kiwanis Club and First United Methodist Church.

More have been ordered online for delivery this week. Thank you so much for this outpouring. This size of the diaper is in the highest demand because children reach it quickly and then stay in it for 1-2 years.

The new ‘high need’ items are now size 5 diapers. We go through about 3 Costco size boxes each day and will run out this week at the current inventory.

The extra food supply for the market was low today, so we took the opportunity to offer baby supplies, which had been accumulating.

On one table were lots of baby hygiene items. One other table was baby foods. One two large tables were many varieties of baby formula. Families could select one item from each table. The hygiene and foods were very, very popular. The formula was less popular, but for the 30 families who needed it, they were very excited to see it. Formula is expensive, so this was like found money.

Thank you to everyone who has given these items for the last few months.

A prayer request from a family today:

There is a mom who has been coming regularly since nearly the beginning in March. Today, she approached me (Ken) at the front of the line and asked if we had a way to spread a prayer request for their family. Indeed, we do, through this blog! She and her husband have 4 children (16, 15, 10 and 3). The three year old, had a sudden seizure yesterday. He collapsed and stopped breathing, turning blue. Medics came very quickly through 911 and brought him back to a stable state. They transported him to a local hospital, where they stayed until late last night. This has happened twice before, at the age of 1 and age of 2. Each time, the son bounces back immediately, including this one. Today, he was running on the grass like any child would do. The family are very scared. They will start testing with a specialist this week to try to learn what is wrong. The mom asked if people would pray for them and for her son.

With the holiday coming up, there will be no change to the schedule or operation. A food truck will be at Jubilee this Wednesday from 4-7pm, Japanese Fusion. Please plan to stop by.

Thank you for a wonderful Monday and the start of the week. Please continue to come around the community in love, prayer, and support. It is working!

Have a wonderful, warm evening,

Ken Carpenter
Service Coordinator, Jubilee REACH
On behalf of the Jubilee family

Jubilee REACH Communications 6/27/20 Jubilee REACH Communications 6/27/20

Groceries for Families: Week 14 - Day 6

It sure feels like Saturday gets the worst of the weather – hot, cold, or rain. The rain this morning came right at 10am as we opened up to families. The canopies were essential and were able to keep everyone in line dry. It definitely kept some families away at the start, but by 11:15am the rush to the finish line finally started. The last 20 minutes were as busy as the first. Despite the rain, it was a delightful day.

Groceries this morning came from Bellevue Presbyterian, Victory Court, and Evangelical Chinese churches, as well as the Jubilee Friends group. A total of 147 orders came in and all went out to families today. It was a very smooth morning of deliveries and most got in before the rain started. Thank you to everyone who participated today. Enjoy the time-lapse below, courtesy of Sam.

The market was well stocked today with fresh foods: lettuce, kale, rosemary, apples, onions, potatoes. It’s always great to offer so much fresh food. Thanks to everyone who donates to the market.

The switch from bulk foods to hygiene items has been made in the front lobby. The pantry is well stocked. (see to the right for picture) Early next week families will be offered some unique items which have come in: dishwasher pods, laundry pods, sunscreen, hand soap all-purpose cleaning spray. All of these are great extra items. Thank you to everyone who filled up the pantry this week.

Here's a unique need we have if anyone would like to step into the gap. For small children who come with their parents, we like to have small fun things to give them when they are waiting in line. Today, for example, was the birthday of a 4-year-old. So, we gave her a small reading book and a dot-to-dot book. She just beamed! Our supply of such items is gone. If this touches your heart, we’d love to get some new supply. Ideas would be: bubble wands, coloring books, dot-to-dot books, stickers, reading books (young kids), activity books, colored pencils, etc. A variety for boys and girls is good. Think 3-9 years old. Thank you in advance.

Today was the final day of the week for bulk ingredient items. Here’s a tally of the number of bags given out over the three days this week:

Flour: 168 bags given out or 345lbs
Rice: 234 bags given out or 585lbs
Beans: 238 bags given out or 286lbs
Sugar: 302 bags given out or 286lbs
Salt: 234 bags given out or 153lbs

As with each Saturday, here’s a look at statistics to date after 14 weeks:

Program Days: 84
Families currently in the program: 664+
People in these families: 2988 (approximate)
Grocery orders provided to-date: 11,696
Churches & Organizations engaged: 28
Different shoppers participating: 1050 (approximate)

The largest need we have is #6 diapers. It’s an ongoing process to keep the pantry stocked of these. Thank you to everyone who has brought these diapers here this week. What was a near-empty spot on the floor, now has inventory. But they go fast, so we’re always looking ahead. Thank you in advance.

We end this week with 664 families in the program. This includes 43 new families added (which was a surprising boost) and 16 families removed from the program. As written a week ago, this coming week is set up to proactively remove families from the program who are not coming regularly or have told us they can sustain themselves again. There isn’t an end goal, but we expect to see a decline in numbers of at least 100 by July 4.

Looking ahead to the coming holiday, there will be no changes in the grocery program on or around July 4.

Today marks the last day of week 14 of this ‘Groceries for Families’ program. It continues to cruise right along with so many good things happening. Thank you all for the continued participation, prayers, support, and love for the people of our community. It’s just so great to be in this with you all.

Thanks for a great week. Tomorrow is a day of rest. Be back Monday.

Ken Carpenter
Service Coordinator, Jubilee REACH
On behalf of the Jubilee family

Jubilee REACH Communications 6/26/20 Jubilee REACH Communications 6/26/20

Groceries for Families: Week 14 - Day 5

The heat today seemed to slow everything down. Weird. The whole afternoon operation felt sluggish, yet by the end, most of the families had shown up. We thought the sun was keeping some people away. We also had ample staffing, which made things a lot easier. Whatever it was, it made for a good day that just felt in slow motion. Tonight it looks like rain is coming, which would actually be a welcome relief.

The heat today seemed to slow everything down. Weird. The whole afternoon operation felt sluggish, yet by the end most of the families had shown up. We thought the sun was keeping some people away. We also had ample staffing, which made things a lot easier. Whatever it was, it made for a good day that just felt in slow motion. Tonight it looks like rain is coming, which would actually be a welcome relief.

Groceries today came from Crossroads Bible, Evangelical Chinese, Covenant Presbyterian, Westminster Chapel, and Bellevue Presbyterian churches, as well as the Jubilee Friends group. A total of 175 orders came in and all went out to families today, including five by delivery. The morning went very well and started earlier than normal, with deliveries coming before the full staff arrived. Not a problem, but it meant those in the building needed to scramble a bit. 😊 Thanks to everyone who participated today.

Lots of pantry items have been arriving since Wednesday.

A pile has formed each morning in the Big Room, which gets sorted and put away by volunteers each afternoon.

Thank you to everyone who is giving to stock the pantry. So great!

Lunch was delivered today by volunteers to 25 seniors in the community, courtesy of the Bellevue Fire Department. (picture on the left) Thank you BFB and NCL/NLYM volunteers!

The food truck is here tonight until 7pm.
Come if you need dinner!

Emails from families this week:

Hola ,buenos dias ,este correo es para agradecer toda la ayuda que nos estan dando en estos momentos difíciles, de verdad que es un gran apoyo , y de mucha ayuda ,Dios los bendiga y les multiplique ,nuevamente gracias...

Hello, good morning, this email is to thank for all the help you all are giving us during these difficult moments. In all honesty, it is a great support and of very much help. God bless you and multiply. Once again, thank you...

Hi there! I can now do grocery pick up once a week, therefore I’d like it to go to someone whose needs require twice a week grocery program. I am incredibly thankful to Jubilee. As a newly single mom of 3 kids, furloughed in March and not receiving any child support I can say that Jubilee has helped above and beyond. Thank you to so many people. I wish I knew all their names. I am grateful.
Wow! Daniel, thank you so much! We got some vouchers from the school but no produce. But then I got home to so much produce from Jubilee REACH! It's like Christmas in June.

Thanks for such a great day. There are so many good things happening through this program. Tomorrow will be an early morning, with a very busy time. Saturdays are special.

May the rain coming water your lawn in abundance!

Have a nice evening,

Ken Carpenter
Service Coordinator, Jubilee REACH
On behalf of the Jubilee family

Jubilee REACH Communications 6/25/20 Jubilee REACH Communications 6/25/20

Groceries for Families: Week 14 - Day 4

The building was still warm this morning, so the doors flew open at 7am with the fan pulling in cool air from the morning. It helps a lot! Yet, by this afternoon the building was warm again. Right now, it is quite toasty. The sun definitely kept families from lining up at the start. It was a constant trickle all afternoon, so no one had to stand in the hot sun. It was another great day.

Groceries today came from Sacred Heart, Kalos, Overlake Park Presbyterian, Redeemer, First United Methodist, Bellevue Presbyterian, and Doxa churches, as well as the Jubilee Friends group. A total of 173 orders came in and all but 10 went out to families, including 36 by delivery. The remaining will go out as deliveries tomorrow. The morning was very smooth, with lots of shoppers dropping off. Thank you to everyone who participated today. Wow!

We were honored to have a visit from two Washington State Legislators who represent the Eastside, My-Linh Thai and Vandana Slatter. They came to see the ‘Groceries for Families’ operation and were toured around by Randy, Scott and Dave this morning. See below for picture. Thank you for the visit!

The market was full today with lots of great extras: apples, onions, potatoes, celery, lettuce, kale, tortillas and more.

It’s wonderful when families can take another bag full of food which they were able to choose for themselves.

Thank you to all who provided these extras.

Tomorrow evening the food truck will return from 4pm-7pm. Vouchers will be handed out to families in the afternoon, redeemable for a dinner from the MexiCuban Truck, sponsored by a local church. If you need dinner plans, please come by Jubilee REACH. They need cash paying customers too.

An email from a family:

Para las personas de buen corazón : Espero que este día sea bendecido y todos los demás: estoy escribiendo esta nota para contar un poco de mi historia y para dar Gracias , somos una familia hispana que trabajamos muy duro para salir adelante , asta febrero de 2020 nuestra situación era estable , asta que a principios de marzo perdí mi trabajo por la pandemia, a las pocas semanas mi esposo también trajo noticias que en su trabajo habían reducido las horas labórale por la misma situación, estamos en una situación de incertidumbre al igual que muchas familias actualmente, la situación estaba empeorando cada día y la preocupación era cada día más grande ,afortunadamente alguien nos habló de este programa al cual aplique inmediatamente, y fui aceptada , eso cambio mucho nuestra situación puesto que ya teníamos una preocupación menos , a muchas familias al igual que a mi la ayuda que recibimos de personas como ustedes nos dio una esperanza dentro de tanta incertidumbre, es como encontrar un rayo de luz en la oscuridad, por eso con todo el corazón agradezco mucho por la ayuda que están dando y por tomarse el tiempo de pensar en las demás personas,muchísimas Gracias, Dios bendiga muchos su vida y sus acciones , que los proteja de todo mal y que les dé mucha felicidad al igual que ustedes an dado a las familias, GRACIAS MIL GRACIAS POR AYUDAR EN TIEMPOS DIFÍCILES LOS HUMANOS NOS PODEMOS OLVIDAR DE LAS BUENAS ACCIONE, PERO DIOS NO SE OLVIDA , que tengan una linda vida y con mucha felicidad

To the people with a good heart: I hope this day is blessed and all the others as well: I am writing this note to share a little bit about my story and to give thanks. We are a Hispanic family that works really hard to keep moving ahead. Until February 2020 our situation was stable, until the beginning of March when I lost my job due to the pandemic, and a a few weeks later my husband also gave us the news that his hours at work had been reduced due to the same situation. We are in a situation with a lot of uncertainty, as so many family are. The situation was worsening each day and the worry each day was bigger. Fortunately, someone told us about this program so we applied immediately and I was accepted. This changed our situation by a lot because we had one less worry. To many families like me, the help we have received from people like you gave us hope under so much uncertainty, it is like finding a ray of light in the darkness. This is why with all of my heart, I thank you for the help you have given us and for taking the time to think of others. Very many thanks. God bless your lives and your actions, may He protect you from all evil and give you much happiness in the way you have given to so many families. THANK YOU, A THOUSAND THANK YOUS FOR HELPING IN DIFFICULT TIMES. AS HUMANS WE MAY FORGET GOOD DEEDS, BUT GOD DOES NOT FORGET. May you have a beautiful life and with much happiness.

Thank you for another lovely day. The crews working here each day knowingly receive all the love, energy, effort, and treasure poured into the groceries, hygiene items and extras brought to Jubilee. They receive it and pass it along in abundance to the families, as your stewards. Thank you for all you’re doing to sustain this wonderful program.

Have a great evening, wherever you are,

Ken Carpenter
Service Coordinator, Jubilee REACH
On behalf of the Jubilee family

Jubilee REACH Communications 6/24/20 Jubilee REACH Communications 6/24/20

Groceries for Families: Week 14 - Day 3

It was a lovely day on the ranch today. The morning weather was ideal – plenty warm for the doors being open but not too warm to be sweaty. The cloud cover was very welcome. Then the sun came out later in the afternoon to put a nice end on the day. The operation was very smooth all around, with deliveries coming early and quickly – all in by noon, which is rare. Families came early, with 75% through in the first hour, which is also rare.

Groceries today were provided by Bellevue Presbyterian, Highland Covenant, Bellevue Christian Reformed, and St. Louise churches, as well as the Jubilee Friends group. A total of 161 orders came in and all went out to families today. Thanks to all who participated!

The market was full today and had a few new items. Someone donated 100 pounds of cornflour, which is used for making corn tortillas. We separated it into ziplock bags and had it available today. It was very popular, especially for those who make tortillas. Fresh greens came from a local community garden: lettuce, chard, kale, herbs, radishes. We had these also portioned into zip locks and were very popular. Someone donated a large box of children’s books of all types. These were displayed along with one long table and a huge hit with parents. The market is a wonderful part of this program and having a variety of items makes it even more special. Thank you to everyone who donated extra items for the market.

Today was the last day for personal hygiene items. We continued to offer toothbrushes for everyone in the family. It looks like just over 2000 toothbrushes went out this week. We still have another 1500, so we will offer them again next week. It is really great to offer these important items. Additionally, sunscreen was offered to all the families and equally popular. This is a very valuable part of this program. Thank you to everyone who stocked the pantry this week. You’re making a huge difference.

Tomorrow, families will be offered bulk food ingredients: rice, pinto beans, sugar, salt, and flour, along with butter & cooking oil. A below picture of the staging area. It is a lot! Thank you to everyone who donated these items to make this possible.

A personal story from Ken:

On June 6, I told a story of a woman in line, whose husband had a seizure related to a past brain tumor. (https://www.jubileereach.org/blog/2020/6/6/groceries-for-families-week-11-day-6) Then on June 19, I wrote that she had not returned since, and we were worried about their family. As I walked along the line of waiting for families about 12:45pm, I saw her for the first time and immediately went to her. Asking about her husband, she was almost drawn to tears. She said she has been unable to come for groceries since June 6 because she has been caring for him. Today they had their first doctor’s appointment, which diagnosed the tumor has returned. Tomorrow, he will begin radiation and will have 18 total treatments. He is 45 years old. I asked how she was doing, and she simply said she has to be strong for her husband and 15-year-old daughter. She is clearly under stress and holding up the family right now. I told her we had missed seeing her and how delighted we are that she is back, which brought a nice smile. I told her I had been praying for her family, which she said was the most important thing. Knowing she hadn’t been to Jubilee in 2 ½ weeks, we quickly filled 2 bags of every hygiene and cleaning item we have. She took this to her car, while I held her place in line. Asking if they have enough food, she said yes. She said the doctors want him to eat lots of fruits and vegetables. We quickly filled a bag with apples, oranges, strawberries, raspberries, and every sort of fresh produce we could find, including fresh snap peas from the garden. My heart rejoices at reconnecting with her & their family, and yet is hurting for what they are going through. That is really life, which happens with or without Covid-19. We have offered to deliver groceries to their home starting immediately, which will save her the trip to Jubilee. They live close to Lake Hills. Please pray for them.

This program and all the love which goes into it from all of you continue to care for this community in many, many ways. There are lots of things we see and know. But, for sure, there are so many things which cannot be known but are equally important. It matters. Thank you for all you’re doing to sustain this.

It is such a lovely evening as this entry wraps up.
Hopefully, you are able to enjoy it, wherever you are.

Blessings to you all,

Ken Carpenter
Service Coordinator, Jubilee REACH
On behalf of the Jubilee family

Groceries for Families began in March 2020 to serve families financially affected by the pandemic. Over 25 organizations and churches have partnered with Jubilee REACH to provide families with groceries, hygiene items, and supplies.

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